Regulation of vesicular trafficking by Parkinson’s disease-associated genes

The regulatory mechanisms that control intracellular vesicular trafficking play important roles in cellular function and viability. Neurons have specific vesicular trafficking systems for synaptic vesicle formation, release and recycling. Synaptic vesicular trafficking impairments induce neuronal dysfunction and physiological and behavioral disorders. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopamine depletion and loss of dopamine neurons in the midbrain. The molecular mechanism responsible for the neurodegeneration that occurs during PD is still not understood; however, recent functional analyses of familial PD causative genes suggest that a number of PD causative genes regulate intracellular vesicular trafficking, including synaptic vesicular dynamics. This review focuses on recent insights regarding the functions of PD causative genes, their relationship with vesicular trafficking and how mutations associated with PD affect vesicular dynamics and neuronal survival.